Trump NH win sets up Brutal Battle with Cruz in South Carolina and Beyond

Donald Trump’s decisive win proves his candidacy is more than a mirage. But the next seven weeks will test whether it's durable.

Trump allies and antagonists alike say he is well-positioned for the next contest on Feb. 20 in South Carolina, where he enjoys a double-digit lead over Ted Cruz and fields his strongest operation of any state.

But by March 1, that advantage shrinks. Cruz could gain the upper hand when 12 states vote, including six across the South, where the Texan has invested heavily. And two weeks later, the race moves to the first winner-take-all states where Cruz super PAC mega-donor Toby Neugebauer has concentrated his spending – setting up a potential delegate bonanza for Trump’s chief rival.

“I worry about Cruz in the South because Cruz is actually running the perfect [expletive] campaign,” said a Southern ally of Trump’s, who bemoaned the businessman’s lack of investment in field and data operations.